Celine Dion makes return to public performance at Olympics opening ceremony

Celine Dion has given her first live public performance since revealing she is living with stiff person syndrome (SPS),  with a spectacular rendition from the Eiffel Tower at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.

The superstar closed the ceremony from the first stage of the French landmark, singing Edith Piaf’s L’Hymne A L’Amour.

The Canadian singer cancelled her Las Vegas residency due to health concerns in 2021, before revealing her SPS diagnosis in December 2022 and cancelling her Courage World Tour.

She has not performed in public since.

She appeared in the final moments of the Olympics pageantry dressed in a beaded silver gown with a high neckline and appeared emotional as she came to the climax of the song.

Dion’s rare condition which causes progressive muscular inflexibility.

Her struggles are documented in her 2024 documentary I Am: Celine Dion, in which she spoke about her desire to return to performing.

Earlier in the ceremony US singer Lady Gaga surprised viewers by singing in French during her performance of the classic Mon Truc En Plume.

After her rendition she said it was her “supreme honour” to perform at the event.

On X, formerly Twitter, she said: “I feel so completely grateful to have been asked to open the Paris @Olympics 2024 this year.

“I am also humbled to be asked by the Olympics organising committee to sing such a special French song—a song to honour the French people and their tremendous history of art, music, and theatre.

“This song was sung by Zizi Jeanmaire, born in Paris a French ballerina, she famously sang Mon Truc En Plumes in 1961.

“The title means My Thing With Feathers.

“And this is not the first time we’ve crossed paths.

“Zizi starred in Cole Porter’s musical Anything Goes which was my first jazz release.

“Although I am not a French artist, I have always felt a very special connection with French people and singing French music.

“I wanted nothing more than to create a performance that would warm the heart of France, celebrate French art and music, and on such a momentous occasion remind everyone of one of the most magical cities on earth – Paris.

“We rented pom poms from Le Lido archive – a real French cabaret theatre.

“We collaborated with Dior to create custom costumes, using naturally moulted feathers. I studied French choreography that put a modern twist on a French classic.

“I rehearsed tirelessly to study a joyful French dance, brushing up on some old skills – I bet you didn’t know I used to dance at a 60s French party on the lower east side when I was first starting out.

“I hope you love this performance as much as I do. And to everyone in France, thank you so much for welcoming me to your country to sing in honour of you – it’s a gift I’ll never forget.”

The singer congratulated the athletes who are competing and added that it was her “supreme honour” to sing for them.

Opening her performance, Gaga emerged from a plume of pink feathers as she sang alongside a group of dancers while wearing a black bodice with a detachable black and pink ruffled skirt.

The singer, real name Stefani Germanotta, performed next to the River Seine, near the Notre Dame cathedral, during the first opening ceremony to be staged outside a stadium.

As the ceremony moved down the river, it paid tribute to the country’s culture and history including Les Miserables, the popular novel by Victor Hugo, which is also a smash hit musical.

Following a sequence paying homage to the historical epic, French heavy metal band Gojira performed at the Conciergerie, a former courthouse and prison in the city.

Among the other performers was French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura, who sang while dressed in a golden dress paired with gladiator boots and gold jewellery.

The celebrations were met with heavy rain with performers, including pianist Alexandre Kantorow, braving heavy showers during their performances.

A catwalk show of French fashions was also a rather soggy affair.

Other performances included Sofiane Pamart and Juliette Armanet delivering a rendition of John Lennon’s  Imagine.

A total of 85 boats carried the team delegations on a four-mile journey through the centre of Paris, with more than 300,000 spectators lining the banks of the river.

Great Britain flagbearers Tom Daley and Helen Glover waved to the crowds as the British delegation sailed down the river while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was among those watching from the main stadium in the Jardins du Trocadero.

Celebrities including Wicked star Ariana Grande and and American singer Pharrell Williams appeared at a red carpet event prior to the ceremony.